Anima Gemella
by Alais Kingsleigh
Summary: Men all over have something in common, whether they're wizards, vampires or humans. It is in that when faced with the girl they like, no matter how adept a speaker they are, they turn into sniveling cowards. Hermione/Aro
1. Anima Gemella

A/N: Hopefully I have not been too OC with Aro in this one.

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 **Anima Gemella**

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 _Breaking up with Ronald Weasley is not something easy for Hermione to do, they've been dating since the end of the Second Wizardry War and it's been over a year since then. It's not as if she still loves him, not in the romantic sense, at least, but now she cares more for him as a brother. They've been together too long it seems, not in the romantic sense but in everything else that she cannot see him as a romantic figure anymore. There's really nothing wrong with him, sure some people would criticize his eating habits, his hoarding and his miserliness but Hermione knows that those traits stems from his deprived childhood. Sure, he is tactless and a bit rude to people at times, but he never pressured her to have sex with him nor did he pressure her to change her "bookish" habits. It's just that the heat and urgency that came from the war and the childhood crush she had for him, had been whittled away by time._

 _He had not wanted to break up of course, he didn't understand her reasons. He opined that her feelings for him aren't fraternal but that they are merely drifting apart because she spends too much time on her work. He begged her, tried to tell her that he'll change whatever it is that she didn't want about him and maybe she can just give up more freelance project so they can spend more time together. But that was just it, the more time she spends with him, the more bored she grows with him. Although, she did not tell him that. She merely told him that she feels they will never get beyond this point in their relationship. In the end, he gave in and she took this lucrative project commissioned by the ruling vampire coven in Italy, against the advice of her friends._ _Perhaps, this move had been a good thing, for Ron moved on quite easily (his face was all over The Daily Prophet, snogging Pansy Parkinson with an unknowing Wizardry World slamming him for "cheating" on Hermione)_

Caius had been from the wizardry world, but had the misfortune to be born a squib from the prestigious Malfoy clan. He would have been killed as an infant if it were not for the intervention of his mother's family, who've decided to have a tenant from their land raise him as his own. He'd grown up a muggle in what would be the Roman capital and it was there that he became a vampire. Therefore, he has an idea of what the wizardry world is, after he and his sworn brothers overthrew the Romanian rule, they created a treaty of non-interference with the wizardry world. But the tides are changing, since the end of the Second Wizardry War, with vampires fighting from both side of the spectrum, the end came with an openness among the magical populace of the vampires as members of the supernatural community.

Not one to miss an opportunity, Aro figured they could hire a competent wizard or witch to create protection wards, shield and maybe a glamor around Volterra and the fortress itself, allowing for the elders of the Volturi coven to walk around the city with more freedom and not be confined to the fortress for the rest of eternity. He figured, if the contractor can do a good job, they can devise a "sort of" shield to protect his guards when they are outside, too. Caius, upon the advice of his contact, hired one Hermione Granger for the job.

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 _Aro married hand-picked Sulpicia amongst the women child that he and his coven, consisting of Marcus, Caius and his sister Didyme, came upon. The reason had been quite simple really, he'd been lonely. Caius met his mate amongst those girls Sulpicia travelled with, beautiful Athenodora. Not wanting to be outdone nor wanting to feel lonely, Aro decided to marry for the simple fact that not all vampires meet their soul mate._

 _She was everything he'd ever wanted back then and more. She might not be the brightest nor the most interesting woman, but she never questions his authority and she is definitely nice to look at. But if he must be honest with himself, he finds her company dull, preferring to spend time with his brothers and figuring out a way to out maneuver the Romanians._

 _At first, Sulpicia had been quite happy with her lot, even contented with the help of Corin, later on when she and Athenodora were almost held prisoners in the tower of Volterra. But as time went on, as she saw women with their families, their loving husband and her children, she grew resentful. She was in love with Aro at first, who wouldn't be? But in the end, this love faded for both of them. Chelsea was never needed to create bonds of loyalty with the two as they are married, but even as she was contented with her lot, what grated her is that she never once had an opportunity to hold her own child. In an act that would surprise everyone around her, not only her husband, she decided to commit suicide and cast herself into the fire kept in the large fireplace in her suite of rooms. Aro mourned her passing, but not as a lover would but for the idea that he will be alone once more._

That was until she came along. Aro had been reluctant to allow this young witch to take the job of creating wards and shields around the fortress and the city. He figured with the money they have, they can afford someone more experienced. But Caius had been determined to have her, she has the reputation as the most brilliant witch of her age, that and she'd been the first ever to break in and steal an artifact from the highly secured Gringotts Bank, testament to her genius.

Thus, Aro gave in, told Caius he'd be observing her progress. He was still reluctant until she saw her, rather, until he smelt her. He couldn't believe that after all his years of existence, he'd finally met her, his anima gemella, the twin of his soul or his soul mate as most vampires term it. He'd never felt emotions so powerful, never felt anything for a very long time ever since they've sat down in their thrones here in Volterra and now he can't help but wonder at her existence. Marcus smiled at the bonds forming for Aro and assured him that he can win her over as she has no bonds with another in this sense.

She on the other hand, couldn't help but only see him as a handsome vampire. She might feel attraction for him but dismissed it, as any smart witch would, as a compulsion one naturally felt towards vampires. She ignored the feeling that it's the strongest around him, merely placating herself that perhaps he is the best looking. She worked hard, worked long hours, researched the origins of every cornerstone and the very foundation of the fortress. She mapped the property surrounding the fortress. She studied the houses and other buildings within the city. She created a catalogue of unique strong wards for the Elders to choose from. In fact, even if it were not for their bond as soul mates, Aro would have been impressed at her tenacity and industry. But as it was he was amazed at the wonder that is his mate.

He sent her letters, filled with poetry and prose. He told his guards to be polite to her, warning them of the consequence. He also stated his intent to claim her, given their bond as soul mates. His guards acted accordingly and acted in a very proper manner around the witch. Human men were subtly told off if they get too near, how anyone can go near her when there's always an unnoticeable vampire (or so they think they're unnoticeable) guarding her. He tried to be in the general area where she is at, but found himself at loss for any excuse other than reports on the progress of her work to talk about. He did try but despite being a good conversant and for some a charismatic speaker, Aro found himself tongue-tied around her.

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 _He schemed, found ways to be around her. He even pretended to supervise the guards in jobs they've been doing long before Hogwarts was built. He sometimes took to observing her from another building (still owned by the Volturi) facing hers. In the end, he figured, the best way to be around her is to stay at the library during her free time, 5 pm-onward. It was then that he once again observed her from the shadows as she read an ancient tome. He once heard her claim that she fell in love with this library the moment she walked in. He can't help but think of how she'll enjoy his private library more than this paltry general one, that the guards shared. As he was busily observing her, he was broken out of his reverie when she approached him._

"Hello, Master Aro. Good evening." Hermione greeted. Aro bowed his head in greeting. "Good evening, Miss Granger." He longed to have her call his name without adding that insufferable master before it, but Hermione had decline time and time again. Hermione smiled upon his greeting. "I'm about to leave in a few weeks." She began. Aro had to mask his emotions so as not to show his feelings. Of course he knew about it, he had been wearing the stone paving and carpet of his room pacing endlessly over it, wondering what excuses could he come up to keep her here. She'd already done everything they need her to do, including making the throne and the rooms of the Masters of the Volturi indestructible. He'd even thought of reasons to visit England, perhaps staying with his friend Carlisle's coven for the meanwhile, even if they have such disgusting eating habits. "As I was saying, I've never really been around Volterra. I haven't had the chance to see the sights. I was wondering if you could accompany me some evening to see places within and nearby." Hermione broked him out of his reverie. Aro stilled at this, his eyes growing large and unable to process what she'd just said. Hermione noticed his reaction, gaping like a fish will make anyone look unattractive, vampire or not and back tracked.

"Of course, if you don't want to. I understand. You are a busy person after all…" Hermione mumbled. Aro startled at the withdrawal of her offer, moved faster than the human eye can see, kneeled besides Hermione and kissing her hand in an almost reverent way. She blushed, it was the most forward he'd ever been with her. "You are mistaken, _bella_. I'm sorry for my late reaction. I would be honored to accompany you. I was just surprised you offered." He apologized. Hermione smiled at this. "Great! How about we venture out of the fortress this Saturday evening?" Aro nodded as if in a daze, his emotions threatening to break out of his long non-functioning chest. Hermione smiled. "See you then…" She bid him as he did what he usually do after their conversations, run away… 'What just happened?' He asked himself as he went to his chambers. Then, it dawned upon him. 'I'm going out with Hermione this Saturday. Dating in this day and age is akin to courting' He told himself, he was so happy at this realization, that he almost jumped in glee. He passed by Jane who was speaking with her twin brother Alec. He grabbed her and started dancing her around, following a tune that can only be heard in his head. "Master, what's wrong?" Jane asked bewildered. "Hermione and I are courting!" He replied with such happiness that the guards nearby looked at him in a funny way.

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 _Accuse Hermione of anything, but she is not stupid. Sure, she is innocent, she and Ron only snogged but they did not do much except for that. But she knows when a person is interested in her. As if the "anonymous letters", expensive gifts (he gave her a First Edition Hogwarts a History), constant watching and warnings to the guards, wouldn't tell her of his interest. His attempts at conversation had her smiling after he's left. She also find him very interesting, what little conversations they've had before he'd slink off to wherever he came from, shows a cultured very well read and educated man (with all those years he lived, he should be). She knows he can be cruel, but nowhere near as sadistic as Caius and she's heard he can be manipulative. His feeble attempts at getting to her good side are pretty endearing._

 _In the end, vampire or not, it seems men or boys of all ages have a lot of things in common, they can be cowards at times. So, if he can't ask her out, she'd better do it for him._


	2. 10 Old Fashioned Dating Habits Aro Makes

A/N: Inspired by an article I saw online. Call me silly but it just sounds fun.

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 **10 Old Fashioned Dating Habits Aro Makes Cool**

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Hermione's experience with dating is sorely inadequate. After all, she had only dated a few boys; namely, Cormac McLaggen, whom she brought to Professor Slughorn's party; Viktor Krum for the Yule Ball and of course; her ex-boyfriend, Ronald Weasley. Because he came from a different time and he's definitely older than anyone she's ever dated, Aro is different than any of the boys she'd ever known, including those that her friends have dated. These are the things that made him different.

 _1\. He always comes to her doorstep to pick her up._

Even though they were staying at the same fortress, he would always take the time to pick her up right at her door step. She had been expecting that they would meet near the main door. Sometimes, she had not yet finished dressing up when he comes to pick her up, he would sit somewhere and patiently wait for her. He would even offer his advice when asked for it but no matter what she wore, he would always compliment her for her choice and the manner she would carry it. It certainly boosted her self-image.

 _2\. He dresses up really nicely for their dates, not too formal or too casual._

From their first date, Hermione always felt flattered that he would always take the effort to dress up nicely even if they're only going sight-seeing. He wore a grey suit instead of his usual black one and had forgone a tie. He also wore a mild scent. Even though she had not wanted to, she can't help but compare how difficult Ron found dressing up in the occasions he'd needed to. Perhaps, Ron is merely used to a different sense of fashion given the fact that he grew up in the Wizardry World and Hermione grew up as a Muggle. Despite not following the trends, Aro's classy sense of dressing up for whatever occasion had the girls around him swooning. Hermione felt smug that despite the attentions he receives from the opposite gender, he looks at her as if she's the center of the universe.

 _3\. He would always bring her flowers and a small trinket as a gift._

Sure, Hermione understood Ron's so-called stinginess. It's actually a result of his deprived childhood. He is still afraid to land himself and his future family in the same said situation, because no matter how happy they were, the Weasleys as children didn't really get many things. She doesn't really fault him for that. It's not even the amount of money spent, but it's the idea that her date thought highly enough of her to give her a token of his appreciation. She protested the expensive gifts Aro had given her on their first few dates. He'd insisted that he could well afford it, but she told him that she prefers something he did himself. He took the suggestion and had taken to giving her flowers and a story or a poem of his creation, always written in beautiful calligraphy.

 _4\. He knows how to really dance and not grind on the club floor._

Dancing for Hermione's peer group consists of almost having sex on the dance floor. Ron, having found out about clubbing from Harry and their friends, would drag Hermione along for the ride. She, however, refused to grind on the dance floor and instead nursed a single drink as her ex-boyfriend dance with the grinding pieces of flesh on the dance floor. He would often call her a square for it, but cannot refute the fact that had she not been sober, he and their group of friends would not make it home in one piece after these clubbing trips. Aro on the other hand, once swept Hermione in time with the music when they were walking in a park one evening. It was a slow dance and he held her close without being improper. Hermione didn't really know how to dance and did not have much of an experience except that one time she danced in the Yule Ball with Viktor Krum, but Aro is a good dancer and had been able to lead her well. Many couples around them started following their lead. From Hermione's point of view, he probably didn't think much of it, but he took her breath away.

 _5\. He calls their dates, dating or in translation for him courting, it was not the "hanging out" she was used to._

On their first date, while he was in the middle of his historical spiel about the place they were walking on, he brought about the _non sequitor_ topic of what exactly he's doing with her. "I am not interested in just going out with you, Hermione." He said suddenly and without warning. Hermione looked at him quizzically. "I like you and I would very much like to get to know you. If you would have me? In my time, we do not date a woman without the intention of courting her. In fact, we do not date at all and seldom court but just offer to marry the woman. But I know you are born from a different time so, I know that you have different expectations." Hermione placed a hand on his arm. "I understand." She smiled at him and he smiled back, looking at her questioningly before finally reaching for her hand and continuing with their tour.

 _6\. Unlike most guys, he doesn't assume that they were "going steady" after a few dates._

Hermione and Ron had been dating for over a year, but they do not really have an established anniversary. Although, Ron believes it's the same date as the Battle of Hogwarts. Why don't they have an anniversary? Simple, after three dates, Ron assumed that he and Hermione are "going steady". He had not even asked her opinion about it but started telling people that they were an exclusive couple. Aro, on the other hand, asked Hermione after their fifth date if she would like to be his girlfriend as the term of her generation goes about it. Hermione was flattered at being asked (and the very nice pendant he still gave her despite her reluctance at expensive gifts. She let this one slide because it was simple enough to be worn daily and it was pretty.) and just asked him what he meant by it. He merely explained that if she would grant him this, it would mean that they would date each other exclusively. Hermione smiled and merely said, "Of course, I've not dated anyone else since we've started."

 _7\. Aro is good at romantic gestures, be it writing poems and odes to love stories of the past or enriching her mind with proses of different topics._

While Aro is busy with his primary job of being a leader among his people, his previous part-time profession as a statue in the throne room gave way to writing sonnets, essays, poems and love letters. He'd never been much of one, when he'd first been married or even when he was courting his first wife. Besides, Sulpicia is hardly literate given the time she was born in and did not bother to learn in the intervening years of her immortality. Hermione, a girl from today's world is much more similar to Aro in her interests. She likes beauty and art and relishes in different ideas. From what little he'd remembered of his life before he was a vampire, he'd not been afforded much chance to learn how to read or write, given that his time had been when humans first started to invent an alphabet. But when he did become a vampire, his seemingly endless years had been driven by desire not only for power, collection of beautiful things and talented vampires but of learning. He took the time to learn different languages and writings, his eidetic vampire memory helped him retain what he'd learned. Now that he found the one he'd spent more or less three millennia, looking for, he'd had the opportunity to express feelings he'd forgotten or probably never had in his efforts of wooing her. Hermione is starting to feel affection for the man behind the pen.

 _8\. Whenever they're together, he would focus all of his attention on her and would really engage a conversation with her._

She was so used to Ron boring her with statistics about Quidditch, specifically the Chudley Cannons and she would often try to listen politely but fail to remain interested. She knows this goes the same way for Ron, except he wouldn't even bother trying to listen to her. But conversations with Aro usually involve finding common grounds of interest, history, magic, politics or even architecture or just anything under the sun. Somehow, there's something almost magical with their connection.

 _9\. He understands the general concept of asking permission for things._

The first time he held her hand involves a non-verbal cue, but most of the time, he'd ask for verbal permission. She had been the first to ask him out but he had been the one to clarify what it entails for him and practically asked her if she's okay with it. Since then, he'd been the one to ask her if they could go out again or where they would want to go. It took them a few months of dating (somehow the Volturi managed to find things she could do in Volterra and there had been some clients from the Italian Wizardry Ministry asking for her services and Aro asked her if she wanted to stay in Volterra while she worked) before he asked to kiss her. She had been frustrated at first, but she enjoys taking things slowly and savoring the relationship they're slowly building.

 _10\. Unlike any other guy she's ever heard of, including even her friend Harry who's now in a relationship with Ginny, they expect to get laid even at the early part of their relationship._

If Hermione is to be honest, Ron had been pressuring her from the start of their relationship to sleep with him. In fact, because of his experience with Lavender, he'd expected Hermione to give it up early on. He'd been irritated and at times angry at her refusal, at the height of one of his drunken binge, he'd even told her she's frigid. A session of screaming from Ginny had ended that, Ron had apologized and tried to change his ways but as he once told Harry, he's a guy who has needs. Until lately, just before they've broken up, Ron had still been trying to convince her.

Aro on the other hand had not even suggested it, even as they are starting to reach the milestone that she'd had with Ron. He might be more patient because he has foreseeable eternity but he did not really feel the need to convince her of anything. Hermione had been relieved and grateful for the chance to enjoy a relationship without anything hanging over her head.

 _Hermione has a problem. She'd never felt this way for anyone before and as of yet, the three important words have not yet passed between them. Somehow she cannot just assume. She is afraid of what it will entail and whether or not she is ready for it._

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Reference: thought cata log kate-bailey/ 2013/ 12/ 10-old-fash ioned-dat ing-hab its-we-sh ou ld-ma ke-co ol-aga in/ (just remove the space)


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